Table of Contents
Driving Guidelines
Your Pilot has higher ground
clearance than a passenger vehicle
designed for use only on pavement.
Higher ground clearance has many
advantages for off-highway driving.
It allows you to travel over bumps,
obstacles, and rough terrain. It also
provides good visibility so you can
anticipate problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost.
Because your vehicle is taller and
rides higher off the ground, it has a
high center of gravity. This means
that your vehicle can tip or roll over
if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent the risk of rollover or
loss of control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
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Driving
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Do not modify your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof.
See page 261 for additional guidelines
for driving off-highway.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１７：１７ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２３６ Preparing to Drive
You should do the following checks
and adjustments every day before
you drive your vehicle.
1. Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
2. Check that the hood and tailgate
are fully closed.
3. Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat
(see page 89 ).
6. Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page 102 ).
7. Check the adjustment of the
steering wheel (see page 78 ).
10.Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
Check the indicator lights in the
instrument panel.
11. Start the engine (see page 232 ).
12. Check the gauges and indicator
lights in the instrument panel (see
page 61 ).
8. Make sure the doors and tailgate
are securely closed and locked.
9. Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page 15 ).
4. Check that any items you may be
carrying with you inside are stored
properly or fastened down
securely.
Driving
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１７：３０ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２３７ Starting the Engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
4. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. If the engine
does not start right away, do not
hold the key in START (III) for
more than 15 seconds at a time.
Pause for at least 10 seconds
before trying again.
5. If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed half-way
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
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Driving
6. If the engine still does not start,
press the accelerator pedal all the
way down and hold it there while
starting in order to clear flooding.
As before, keep the ignition key in
the START (III) position for no
more than 15 seconds. Return to
step 5 if the engine does not start.
If it starts, lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal so the engine
does not race.
Starting in Cold Weather at High
Altitude (Above 8,000 feet/
2,400 meters)
An engine is harder to start in cold
weather. The thinner air found at
high altitude above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters) adds to the problem.
Use the following procedure:
1. Turn off all electrical accessories
to reduce the drain on the battery.
2. Push the accelerator pedal halfway to the floor and hold it there
while starting the engine. Do not
hold the ignition key in START
(III) for more than 15 seconds.
When the engine starts, release
the accelerator pedal gradually as
the engine speeds up and smooths
out.
3. If the engine fails to start in step 2,
push the accelerator pedal to the
floor and hold it there while you
try to start the engine for no more
than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, return to step 2.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１７：３８ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２３８ Automatic Transmission
Your Honda’s transmission has five
forward speeds, and is electronically
controlled for smoother shifting. It
also has a ‘‘lock-up’’ torque converter
for better fuel economy. You may
feel what seems like another shift
when the converter locks.
Shift Lever Position Indicator
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on for a
few seconds when you turn the
ignition switch ON (II). If it flashes
while driving (in any shift position),
it indicates a possible problem in the
transmission. Avoid rapid acceleration and have the transmission
checked by an authorized Honda
dealer as soon as possible.
The malfunction indicator lamp may
come on along with the ‘‘D’’ indicator
if there is a problem in the automatic
transmission control system.
This indicator on the instrument
panel shows which position the shift
lever is in.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１７：４８ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２３９ Automatic Transmission
Shift Lever Positions
To shift from:
P to R
SHIFT LEVER
The shift lever has seven positions.
It must be in Park or Neutral to start
the engine. When you are stopped in
D, D3, 2, 1, N or R, press firmly on
the brake pedal, and keep your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
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Driving
R to P
N to R
D3 to 2
2 to 1
1 to 2
2 to D3
D3 to D
D to N
D to D3
N to D
R to N
Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
pull the shift lever towards
you.
Pull the shift lever towards
you.
Move the lever.
You cannot shift out of Park with the
brake pedal depressed when the
ignition switch is in LOCK (0) or
ACCESSORY (I).
Park (P) − This position mechanically locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning off or
starting the engine. To shift out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Pull the shift lever
towards you, then move it out of
Park.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
236 .
You must also pull the shift lever
towards you to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage, come to
a complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１７：５６ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４０ Automatic Transmission
Neutral (N) − Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park position if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pedal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Reverse (R) − To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Pull the shift lever
towards you before shifting into
Reverse from Neutral.
Drive (D) − Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmission automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shifting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up faster.
Drive (D3) −This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D3 when
towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to
provide engine braking when going
down a steep hill. D3 can also keep
the transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in D3 or
D, you can get the transmission to
automatically downshift by pushing
the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down one
or two gears, depending on your
speed.
Driving
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１８：０７ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４１ Automatic Transmission
Second (2) − To shift to Second,
pull the shift lever towards you, then
shift to the lower gear. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshift to first
gear when you come to a stop.
Second gives you more power when
climbing, and increased engine
braking when going down steep hills.
Use second gear when starting out
on a slippery surface or in deep snow.
It will help reduce wheelspin.
When driving down hill with a trailer,
use the Second position.
First (1) − To shift from Second
to First, pull the shift lever
towards you, then shift to the
lower gear. With the lever in this
position, the transmission locks in
First gear. By upshifting and
downshifting through 1, 2, D3 and
D, you can operate this
transmission much like a manual
transmission without a clutch
pedal.
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Driving
Engine Speed Limiter
If you exceed the maximum speed
for the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may feel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Shift Lock Release
This allows you to move the shift
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pulling the shift lever does
not work.
1. Set the Parking brake.
2. Make sure the key is in the
ignition switch LOCK (0) position.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１８：１６ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４２ Automatic Transmission
6. Remove the screwdriver from the
shift lock release slot, then install
the cover.
Depress the brake pedal and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the Shift Lock
Release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have the
vehicle checked by your Honda
dealer.
3. Put a cloth on the edge of the Shift
Lock Release slot cover.
Use a small flat-tipped screw
driver or small metal plate (neither
are included in the tool kit) to
remove the cover. Carefully pry on
the edge of the cover.
4. Insert a screwdriver in the Shift
Lock Release slot.
5. Push down on the screwdriver
while you pull the shift lever
towards you and move it out of
Park to Neutral.
Driving
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１８：２３ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４３ Variable Torque Management 4WD System
The Variable Torque Management
4WD System (VTM-4) automatically
transfers varying amounts of engine
torque to the rear wheels under low
traction conditions.
VTM-4 Lock
Do not use the VTM-4 Lock button on
dry, paved roads. Driving on dry,
paved roads with VTM-4 Lock ON may
damage the rear dif f erential when
making a turn. Strange noises and
vibration can also result.
If more traction is needed when your
Pilot is stuck or is likely to become
stuck, you can use the VTM-4 Lock
button to increase torque to the rear
wheels. As soon as this feature is no
longer needed, press the VTM-4
Lock button again to disengage the
VTM-4 Lock.
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１８：３３ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４４ Variable Torque Management 4WD System
To engage the VTM-4 Lock:
1. The vehicle must be stopped with
the engine running.
2. Move the shift lever to first (1),
second (2) or reverse (R) gear.
3. Press the VTM-4 Lock button.
The light in the button will come
on.
To get unstuck, apply light pressure
to the accelerator pedal. Do not spin
the front tires for more than a few
seconds. Because of the amount of
torque applied to the rear tires, they
should not spin. This is normal. If
you are not able to get the vehicle to
move, apply the brakes to stop the
wheels, then reverse direction.
The VTM-4 Lock will temporarily
disengage when the vehicle speed
exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). It will
automatically engage again as the
speed slows below 18 mph (30
km/h). The light in the VTM-4 Lock
button will remain on the whole time.
To disengage the VTM-4 Lock, do
one of the following:
Press the VTM-4 Lock button.
Move the shift lever to D, or D3.
Turn the ignition to OFF (0).
When you restart your Pilot, the
VTM-4 Lock feature will be off.
Do not continuously spin the f ront tires
of your PILOT. Continuously spinning
the f ront tires can cause transmission
or rear dif f erential damage.
Driving
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０２／０２／２８ １９：１８：４４ ３１Ｓ９Ｖ６００ ０２４５ Parking
Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. The indicator
on the instrument panel shows that
the parking brake is not fully
released; it does not indicate that the
parking brake is firmly set. Make
sure the parking brake is set firmly
or your vehicle may roll if it is
parked on an incline.
Set the parking brake before you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission − making it
easier to move the shift lever out of
Park when you want to drive away.
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If the vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the curb.
If the vehicle is facing downhill, turn
the front wheels toward the curb.
Make sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or damage
the rear brakes.
Parking Tips
Make sure the windows are closed.
Turn off the lights.
Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the cargo area or take them
with you.
Lock the doors with the key or the
remote transmitter.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other flammable
materials. The three way catalytic
converter gets very hot, and could
cause these materials to catch on
fire.